Hi friends! It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a DIY here, for many reasons.

Life took over for awhile.

But I’m back – with a fun and easy DIY for you all to try out!Big, bejeweled pendant chandelier earrings have been on-trend for awhile now…but unless you’re planning on whipping out that soldering torch and applying to your rhinestones…they’re a little hard to make. Enter translucent vinyl PVC as a backing – plus some strong glue – and you don’t ever need to pick up that pesky torch. Here’s how to make your own designer-style illusion jeweled chandelier-style dangle earrings:

How To: 1. Lay out the beads on a flat surface to determine placement of the rhinestones.

2. Use a generous dab of glue on the back of each rhinestone to glue it onto the transparent PVC vinyl. Space your rhinestones apart to allow for cutting them into separate pieces if you desire.

3. Once dry, use scissors to cut around the rhinestones. (I chose to cut around some clusters of rhinestones separately so I could join them with jumprings for more dangle.) Make sure to round your corners.

4. Glue the earring pad onto the back of the earrings, and allow to dry.

5. Use an awl to pierce the vinyl for each separate rhinestone cluster that you want to connect, and at the middle of the bottommost rhinestone cluster, near the edge.

6. Connect a Drop Pendant to the bottom of the earring with a large jumpring.

7. Connect all the pieces with jumprings to complete your earrings.

And that’s it! They’re surprisingly stable and will withstand some wear (though I wouldn’t recommend running obstacle courses in them).

I also made some alternate-colored ones in the trendy asymmetrical earring style.

I love how they look disconnected – almost floating – above your shoulders – utterly utterly chic with a backswept ‘do and a pretty necklace for Spring.

Big jewelry straight out of the 1980’s is having a HUGE moment this year. The bigger, the better – covered with plexi and acrylic, chunky bold shapes, and glittering rhinestones – anything goes right now. I saw these earrings for sale in a store during my last trip to Tokyo this Summer – and decided to DIY them with some materials I already had on hand. Clear acrylic for accessories is hard to come by – so I just repurposed an old photo-frame for my main material. Here’s how:

Thanks so much to the team at M&J Trimming – I had a blast working with all your wonderful supplies!

xo
Carly

FTC Disclosure: I received a box of trims and supplies courtesy of M&J Trimming, to create step-by-step DIY tutorials for their DIY Challenge. I have received a $100 M&J Trimming Gift Card as compensation for my submissions. My official Disclosure Policy is here.

Back when I worked on the May campaign with Martha Stewart Jewelry, I actually made a couple of pieces while playing around with the treasure trove of supplies I was sent. (Only my DIY Enamel Spring Flower Bib Necklace made it to the blog for the campaign post.) But I also made these earrings, and though I don’t have a shot of me wearing them yet (Hub has been working odd hours ever since we got back from Japan), I still wanted to share the how-to with all of you.

I’ve always been drawn to the intricate nature of filigree pieces and love its versatility (I even used it for the backing of the bib necklace above!). It reminds me of ancient scrolling and iron work – perhaps more suited to Guinevere’s or Cleopatra’s time than the modern minimalism of today. Of course these jewelry findings are not true filigree (which is made of soldered wire that is curved and bent to form patterns), but instead is created with dies cutting the pattern into metal. Incorporating them into your jewelry will add a sophisticated touch with a vintage feel, and adding crystal components and a wash of color from the Martha Stewart Jewelry line is a great way to truly customize your pieces. And you only need to be able to link jumprings and wield a paintbrush! Here’s how: (more…)

*This project was featured here in the New York Issue of Snippets Magazine on Cut Out + Keep in 2010; I’m just re-posting the tutorial on my site.

This last season of TV’s Gossip Girl has seen the two female leads wear some awfully big, flashy earrings in true 80’s throwback style. Taking a leaf from Blair’s Dynasty-inspired playbook, I’m DIY’ing another version of a pair of oversized gemstone earrings, using fabric and mesh tulle.

Welcome!

Carly J. Cais

Hi, I'm Carly. I LOVE making things: all things, from clothing to jewelry, accessories, crafts, and home decor. I infuse my life and wardrobe with DIY creativity while staying on a budget. This site is about looking and living chic for a steal, and this is how I do it.

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All content on this site is copyright Chic Steals and Carly J. Cais. I love it when you link to my blog and share my posts! When reposting, please only share ONE photo with a live link to the post or blog. If you would like to use multiple posts or publish my content in full, please contact me first. My full Terms of Use is here.